VII

Previously:

I heard the apartment's door open and Jen's high pitched voice, then he opened my room’s door, with two Ben and Jerry’s ice cream, two spoons in his hand, and a smile, the smile that sweetened the very air in my lungs.

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  We stayed up that evening talking till a late hour of the night, I still hear remember his infectious laugh, forcing me to laugh along with him regardless of the stomach-pain I was feeling.

  When I think about him, no words can ever describe the numerous feelings I have for him. When I think about the simplest things he does, like when he remembers to wish me goodnight and morning everyday, or how I would automatically smile when I see him smile, even when I’m mad at him for whatever reason. It is really amazing how someone over time can change to become that one person your life and world revolves around.

   Sometimes it can take one thing to make you realize how much you need that person in your life, how you can’t function daily without them, and that the thought of loosing them makes you feel sick; an ugly feeling you get in your chest, the one that feels like your heart is being strangled.

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   Areen got fierce at me for shortening my stay in London and going back to Saudi, she was sad more than mad, and I honestly don’t blame her. Nothing ever feels like home. Even though I study in a neighboring land to my homeland, where my mother tongue is the dominant language used, the religion is the same, and traditions and culture are almost the same, I still miss home. So what if you were miles and miles away in a completely different kind of country?     

  I tried convincing Faisal to stay with his sister till he had to leave back to Saudi for his work, but being his stubborn self he insisted on accompanying me.

  Dave drove us to Heathrow airport on an early November raining evening. I was staring out the window -- I love London’s streets. They have this thing about them that none of the other European countries have, I don't know what it is but its charming. -- when I felt Faisal’s hand on top of mine,

“shtfkreen feeh?”

I chuckled as I said,“awd3 shwari3 London”

“shtben b shwar3 London wna 3ndik?”

“Point well made.” I agreed

 When we reached our checkpoint, we said our goodbyes to Dave and he wished us a safe flight in return. We didn’t need to go through any trouble or fuss till we got to terminal 3, the VIP lounge section, since both of hold diplomatic passports and were traveling First Class.

   The side of my body was resting on Faisal’s while we were both seated comfortably at the lounge, I was doing something on my phone and he had his eyes closed. I noticed that he was too quite, so I looked up to him and noticed that he had a disturbed look on his face, the one you’d usually get when you’re not feeling well.   

I turned my whole body to face him and asked with a sincere tone, “Faisal feek shay? Wjhk ma y6amin..”

He opened his bloodshot weak eyes and replied, “7abebty mafeni ela el3afya, don’t worry I’ll be fine” and he gave me a fake smile. Like I was going to buy it.

I stood up fast and placed my hand on his forehead, and it was warmer than the average human body temperature.

“Faisal you’re really warm,” I got my handbag from his side and pulled out my medicine mini-bag and a mini bottle of water I always keep on me. I opened the bottle of water, and got two Panadol Cold and Flu pills, while he was eyeing me the whole time

“ aaaaaa! Afta7” as if I were a pediatrician talking to a five year old

“la walaah?” he replied with a ‘you’re kidding me right?’ look

“Faisaal, 3shani yalaa!” I replied with a sad tone and facial expression, I knew it would get him. sue me.

“aakh. w ana agdr arf’9 lk 6alabb?” he replied as he came closer and opened his mouth wide enough for me to place the pills and the water to go in

“Sha6oorr” I told him with a cheesy smile,

he wrapped his strong arms around my waist with a feeble grip, and placed the side of his face on my stomach to rest.

“Faisal!! 3aib. 3ad mu in public..” I hissed

“shush.”

“Faisal. People are watching.” We were heading to the UAE and there were a couple of people in the lounge that looked Arab

“6yb? Enti 7gi. End of discussion eskty.” he replied possessively

“ummm I don’t think so. wain mktob esmik?” I asked playfully

he looked up at me and placed his index finger on where my heart is located.

‘Damn he won this one’ I thought.

I pushed his face back to where it is, before he noticed me blushing

“ma agool ela ya zen eli yst7on walaa” he said as I blushed more

“Sulsul 3omri gltlk a7b re7tik?” he asked

“re7ty t7bik aktharr” I replied back

“bs re7tik eli t7bny? Mafe shay aw a7aadd thany y7bny?” he asked, but before I could reply I was cut off with an airport employee

“Mr. AlX?”

“Yes” replied Faisal

“the car is ready to take you to the entrance of the airplane.”

“is it time? Ok then!”

“Yes sir! Ma’am, may I help you with your hand luggage?”

I gave him Faisal’s dark blue Cabas LV bag, and my baby pink Gucci duffel bag, and we started moving to the exist, where the car was parked waiting for us.

Before we passed the sliding doors, I got my white cashmere scarf, and held Faisal’s arm to stop him.

“fek shay baba?” he asked me

“danig shaway please!” he did as I told him, and I wrapped my scarf around his neck.

He kissed my forehead and we made our way to the car, hand in hand.

  We were the first in the airplane; the flight attended took our carry-on and showed us our seats. Faisal didn’t want to book the flight’s separate individual First Class seats, since we wont be close to each other, therefore he made sure that we go on the aircraft with the regular First Class seats. I took my seat by the aisle and left the one next to the window for him

“ma tben el window side? ‘3reeba!”

“la 5utha ent, I don’t mind!” I actually did want it, but I felt like it might be more comfortable for him, so people passing by, wouldn’t bother him by any chance .

   The flight took around 8 hours, from London Heathrow Airport to Dubai International Airport. The ride consisted of Faisal sleeping the whole time, and me walking him up every now and then to drink water so that he wont get dehydrated.

   We arrived to Dubai in the early morning, and then took another flight to King Fahad International Airport. When we arrived in Ad-dammam Mahmoud, baba Ahmad’s Egyptian head of drivers, was waiting for us. He took the trolley of suitcases and then drove us to AlKhubar. 

  Our house, Faisal house, and Baba Ahmad’s house are all located next to each other, they all look different, but everyone knows that the one in the middle is Ahmad AlX’s house and the ones on his left and right are his sons.

   My mom was waiting for me, and once I stepped in the house she showered me with kisses and hugged me tight as she spoke,

“ya ba3d dnyty wala eshtagt lk! La 3ad t3edenha!”

“haha enshalsha mama!”

“shaklik t3bana, kaif kanat r7ltkum?”

“kanat zaina, bs Faisal jata 7rara w sa5an f ta3ab?”

“yoohh 7bebyy! 6mneni 3laih 6yb..”

“umm ok?” huh.. ‘does my mom know something I don’t know about?’ I asked myself.

I brushed the thought away, and excused myself to go and shower and rest before my dad comes from work. The maids were already adjusting my cloths in my walk-in closet, I grabbed some pjs and went to take a relaxing bath.

  After I was tucked in bed with the curtains closed and lights dimmed ready to take a nap, I dialed my uncle’s house from my room’s telephone, Shaikha the head of housemaids and Faisal’s nanny when he was a child answered phone

“Al7maadllaah 3al salama Sala6aa! Kaifik 7abobaa?”

“ haha alah yslmik Shaikha, wala b5air al7mdllaah w enti?”

“Al7mddlaah rab el3alaamen!”

“Shaikha t3rfen Faisal waina bl bait?”

“hwa b ‘3urfato mn fatra walahi”

“7awleni 3laih please!”

“tamree, yalaa see you”

“haha see you too” I love it when you tries to speak in English

the phone ringed three times, and when I was about to close the line he answered

“Aloo?!” a groggy half-asleep voice answered

“sorry! erja3 nam! I’ll call you later!”

“laaaa la!  Don’t ever be sorry! Y79alah elwa7id y97a 3ala 9otik a9lan?”

“hmm. Kaifk al7en?”

“Sul6antyy t3baaann. I’m feeling pain everywhere, bs precisely in my chest area!”

“Faisal! Eish feekk? T7taj tro7 mustashfaa? Aklm Mahmoud ysh’3l elsyara?” I started to panic knowing that Faisal has some asthma problems

“la bs eshtgtlk..” he replied with a smile that I could feel over the phone

“tstahbil 97? Ma y’97k. Bye.” I was mad at him

“laa laa! T3alii ya wailk tskrenn! Amza7 m3ak bs bshof t’htmen aw laa”

“Faisal eish eli ahtim aw la? Y3ni aked bhtam” I replied still frustrated

“ba3d eldnya wala! alah y5lek lee, mad Sala6a”

“haha hah ha. funny Fi9fi9, funny.”

“Adry, 6yb shga3da tsween?”

“I’ll take a nap when we end the call enshala” I replied

“la tskrain, I’ll keep quite, yala nami” he demanded

I rested my head on the pillow and kept quite till sleep almost got to me

“Sul.. nmtyy?” he whispered through the phone

“hmm laa lsaaa” he heard the sleepiness in my voice

“agolk shay?” he asked

“hmm gool”

“dnyty wla shay mn donik, mn ‘3air shar”

Stay tuned for the next chapter  x

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Important note:

a. I wrote this really fast without proofreading, so the mistakes are probably double the usual, so I apologize.

 b. I’ll be out of the country for the next couple of weeks for personal reasons, so don’t push for a post! I promise to post whenever I can.

I hope you enjoyed reading the chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Anyways, if you think that I need to touch upon certain things please do tell me, and as I always say feedback and comments are highly appreciated :*x

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